Any Byzantine screenshots?

[Keravnos]

First of all, I am as amazed as all of you by the amazing visuals of the new medievalTW.

I must also say that AI is and must be equal to attention to visuals, if not better, since TW games always tend to grow much longer than a year or 2 after release. Good AI and it will grow on longer (and that means sales after the glitter is gone). Good visuals (without AI improvements) and you get insta sales but no longevity (and big dissapointment among the diehards!). BUT... I have faith in CA !!

Yes, I do. RTW+mods is the best game I have played, bar none. However there is a small item of nervousness that is getting bigger by the day... :hmmm:

I need to see MORE Byzantines, as those are probably the only ones I will play with (OK, I admit to being a huge longbow - we few we happy few, etc english fan ), but...

WHERE ARE THE BYZANTINE SCREENSOTS?

I think I saw a cataprhact, a trapezountian archer and that's it. I think that there probably were more units than that :tooth: so anyone seen them?

If you have, please point.

[smoke]

I share your curiousity. Should be great fun playing the Byz. Just like it was in MTW. As far as i know now, there are no screenshots of them around. Like you said: just the horseman (cataphract?) and the archer. Guess CA is saving the best for last (i hope). I'm especially curious about the Varangian Guard, the elite unit that kicked butt long into the late game of MTW. Having some pics of cataphracts won't hurt either...

[Romanos]

Go on totalwar.com, then go to MTW2 section and finally the factions menu you will be able to see a Byzantine cataphract.

[smoke]

Go on totalwar.com, then go to MTW2 section and finally the factions menu you will be able to see a Byzantine cataphract.

Where does it say it's a cataphract?

[dood]

Go to IGN.com there are tons of pictures and 2 videos.

[smoke]

Where does it say it's a cataphract?

If someone says the Byzantine units in MTW were ****, then that someone obviously hasn't played it that well. Varangians and cataphracts could rock any battle at any period.

[Chuffy]

If someone says the Byzantine units in MTW were ****, then that someone obviously hasn't played it that well. Varangians and cataphracts could rock any battle at any period.

Try playing an all Cataphract army then....ARGH ECONOMY! Byzantine Infantry were quite effective, a large armoured swordsman unit...however it was their low morale that really crippled them.

Plus didn't the High and Late era's stop Varangians being built?

I'd hope in MTW2 that there is a mix of MTW's mercenary system and RTW's...just so the Byzantines would be very reliant on mercenaries.

[Darkragnar]

and the thezbond Archer!

[Keravnos]

Darkragnar and Rome ac, thanks for the direction, but I already know about those pics. I just wanted to know if there were more I missed.

Seems there aren't and I would have to agree with smoke that more units would be a pleasant surprise.

Thanks guys, and now let's all play the waiting game.

[Salvantis]

Sadly but i dont have your faith in CA, especially when it is about Byzantium empire. As i remember in MedievalTW were only 3-4 provincies for entire Balkans and byzantium units were &$*#*!, but at least there were more than 3 units...
Anyway mayans are more important

[Hansa]

Sadly but i dont have your faith in CA, especially when it is about Byzantium empire. As i remember in MedievalTW were only 3-4 provincies for entire Balkans and byzantium units were &$*#*!, but at least there were more than 3 units...
Anyway mayans are more important

You have to remember that the last game made by CA was RTW, and that CA, as a result probably have a complete Rome kick. Byzanthium is of course the sucessor of Rome so they will recieve priority both because CA now loves Rome and that they are popular among gamers who want to reestablish Rome. I think the Byzantine Empire will recieve the highest priority from CA together with France, England, The HRE and judging by MTW1 possibly the Turks. Of couse, treating each faction equally and working as much with each faction would be preferable by far (aswell, as the obviously important factions they have chosen to ignore).

[Chuffy]

You have to remember that the last game made by CA was RTW, and that CA, as a result probably have a complete Rome kick. Byzanthium is of course the sucessor of Rome so they will recieve priority both because CA now loves Rome and that they are popular among gamers who want to reestablish Rome. I think the Byzantine Empire will recieve the highest priority from CA together with France, England, The HRE and judging by MTW1 possibly the Turks. Of couse, treating each faction equally and working as much with each faction would be preferable by far (aswell, as the obviously important factions they have chosen to ignore).

I'd be more interested in how they'd recreate the internal religious, political and economic strife that was rapant in the Empire during the period, the Byzantine Empire was truly fascinating and it would be a shame to just make them an Orthodox faction with slightly old skool units.

[Salvantis]

You have to remember that the last game made by CA was RTW, and that CA, as a result probably have a complete Rome kick. Byzanthium is of course the sucessor of Rome so they will recieve priority both because CA now loves Rome and that they are popular among gamers who want to reestablish Rome. I think the Byzantine Empire will recieve the highest priority from CA together with France, England, The HRE and judging by MTW1 possibly the Turks. Of couse, treating each faction equally and working as much with each faction would be preferable by far (aswell, as the obviously important factions they have chosen to ignore).

I hope you are right there, but again i doubt it. Just remember "great map from BI": you have HUUUUGE empty space between Constantinople and Danube; how many cities were in Balkan in BI? No Hadrianopolis for god sake!
And treating all factions equally will always be just a dream...

[Romanos]

Darkragnar and Rome ac, thanks for the direction, but I already know about those pics. I just wanted to know if there were more I missed.

Seems there aren't and I would have to agree with smoke that more units would be a pleasant surprise.

Thanks guys, and now let's all play the waiting game.

Sorry, yes I also cant wait to see the Byzantine army and the city of Constantinople itselft (lets hope it has the Hagai Sophia).

[Maethius]

I want to see not only Byzantian units but also their town/castle arcitecture.

[Empedocles]

I can't wait to storm Rome and place the Flag of the Caesars again in its walls!
Byzance start in a really weakened position in MTW2, let's see how we can revert that.

Diego, from Argentina

[Shaun]

Actually, varangian Guards could be built in the high era, but not the late. Cataphracts are excelent in the early era, good in the high era, but weak in the late. They are too old fashioned, they have really heavy armour, but not good enough attack to contend with Gothic knights and infact Chivalric knights.

Byzantine infantry are good in the early era when the Catholic armies are struggling to tech up to spearmen, but once the feudal units come in they are hoplessly outclassed.

Varangian Guards, well they are excelent all the time, but unfortunately they cannot trained in the late era, and this is the era in which they are most needed.

What really makes the Byzantines weak is a lack of good anti cav units. Basic spearmen can only do so much, most heavy cav can rout them with a frontal charge! To be of any use they need to be deployed in trees, or on a steep slope, well both preferably, and then put urban militas behind them to counter charge the cav once they reach your line.

I just hope that in MTW2 the Byzantines dont get neglected like they did in MTW. They deserved better infantry, Chiv TW has a pretty good representation of the Byzantine army, maybe CA should take a look there.

[victor.]

There are campaign map screens of the actual empire, but nothing battle map related.

[saber]

I hope that they make Constantinople a unique city at least, on the battle map.

[Markas]

I wanna see Byz infantry next in the 3d units as I tend to build lots. Even in the late stages of the game thier good as the Byz get superb commanders (esp. at startup).
The varangian gurd better be in as well, I remember in one MTW game my one Varangian guard General slaughtered the entire Polish army in a siege battle...